100-Year-Old Woman Dies Following Wilmette Blaze

A 100-year-old Wilmette woman, who was just weeks away from turning 101 years old, was killed Saturday after her living room caught fire, various media outlets reported.

Fire crews responded to the scene in the 600 block of Ridge Road around 2:48 a.m. and found Opal Reifenberg on the floor after forcing their way into her second-floor unit, she was pronounced dead at 10:15 p.m. at Advocate Lutheran general Hospital in Park Ridge, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, NBC Chicago reported.

The Wilmette Fire Department told Patch that, as of Monday morning, the fire is still being investigated. It's unknown when a cause for the fatal fire will be available.

Family and co-workers remember Reifenberg for her high energy and dedication as she worked at the Wilmette Public Library at the age of 100, ABC News reported.

Gayle Justman, Reifenberg’s supervisor for 16 years, said the centenarian had been working at the library on weekdays for almost 25 years, “She was a fabulous employee and a wonderful, amazing person. We kept her here not because she worked here for so long but because she really did her job well,” Justman told NBC Chicago.

Reifenberg’s youngest son Bob described his mother using something she said on her last birthday, “I’m surrounded by books and my best friends. What could be better than that?” Chicago Tribune reported.

Aug. 17 would have marked Reifenberg’s 25th year working at the Wilmette Public Library, Chicago Tribune reported.